Hi everyone,
On the advice and recommendations of the lovely people over on Instagram, I’ve decided to update with a blog post. I haven’t been writing more recently, for a few reasons; I wasn’t actually sure that people were reading them, I have actually remade quite a few garments recently and it seems silly to blog them again and I have also done quite a bit of Christmas sewing.
However, I have recently made the Tamsyn Top that was free with Simply Sewing Managzine in Issue 46, back in August. It would appear that, like me, many sewcialists look up Instagram and blog posts before they attempt patterns themselves and it seems that it is only fair that I give back.
On that note, the Tamsyn top is a simple, tunic style blouse with long sleeves and cuffs. There are no alternative options. I think the version on the packet is really nice and would love to replicate one like it. However, I had this lovely fabric called Ladies Faces from Sewalicious and wanted to use the simple lines of this pattern to show it off.
There are no darts and I was unsure about how to complete a Full Bust Allowance because of this but I lined it up with a pattern piece I knew fit me and it seemed OK. The body of the top comes together really easily… then it gets tricky, well not tricky, just more tricky than the simple tunic top would suggest, I feel. First of all, it requires set in sleeves. Eurgh, my nemesis… though, I think I’m getting better at that. Then you have to gather the bottoms of the sleeves to fit within a cuff, which creates a lovely, lose shape but is rather fiddly.
You complete an all-in-one collar for this blouse, which needed lots of clipping at the curves to sit nicely. It also makes the pattern quite fabric hungry as you have to cut it on quite a large curve and the sleeves are pretty meaty too! It was a complete fluke but I’m pleased that there are no faces in the pieces that I cut for this, as it wouldn’t look right.
The pattern gives the option for tassels, having never made tassels before, I tootled off to research this and easily followed this photo on Pinterest, incidentally, if you love a bit of Pinterest, follow me here. The tassles are simple tacked in before you make the collar.
I’m really pleased with it, I think it’s a really relaxed fit, if not, a bit out there but it’s perfect with black jeans for a day exploring. I would make this blouse again, but only when I’m in the mood to try that collar.